Enlargement of the European Union: The referendums during 2003 in the applicant countries, September 2003

Between March and September 2003, nine of the 10 Acceding States held referenda on EU membership. The people of all nine countries voted in favour of joining the European Union on 1 May 2004. There were, however, significant differences in voter turnout and in the margins by which the various referenda were won.

The highest level of support for EU membership was recorded in Slovakia, where 92.46% of participants voted 'yes'. By contrast the 'yes' vote in Malta was just 53.6%. Perhaps the large number of people voting 'no' helped Malta to the highest referendum turnout, with 91% of those eligible to vote actually dong so. Barely half of Slovakia's voters participated in the poll (52.15%) and an even lower percentage used their vote in Hungary (45.62%).

In Cyprus, a referendum scheduled for 30 March was cancelled following the breakdown of reunification talks, and the Accession Treaty was ratified on 14 July without a popular vote.

The referenda form part of the ratification process of the Acceding States; each of the current Member States must also ratify the Accession Treaty. Progress with ratification can be followed on the Ratification Details page of the Council's website.

The referenda in tables

Overview

* Cyprus had set 30 March as its referendum date, but cancelled the vote following the breakdown of reunification talks.

Highest/lowest 'yes' votes

Highest/lowest 'no' votes

Highest/lowest turnouts

Further details of results (some in the national language) can be found via these links:

Czech Republic
Estonia
Hungary
Latvia
Lithuania
Malta
Poland
Slovakia
Slovenia

Information campaigns

The 'yes' campaigns were supported by EU funds allocated to the Commission's Communications Strategy for Enlargement. Adopted in May 2000, the Strategy was a response to the perceived demand for information about enlargement in both the Member States and the Candidate Countries. One of its objectives was to 'generate dialogue with a broad section of public opinion and dispel misapprehensions about the enlargement process. [The Strategy] should help ensure that the negotiations are concluded with public support and the resulting Treaties of Accession are signed and ratified on the basis of well-informed and realistic public expectations'.

Three key objectives were identified for Member States:

• 'to communicate the reasons for enlargement to the public including its likely impact and the challenges it poses. The outcome should be improved understanding of the enlargement process, which in turn should assuage apprehensions about its impact'
• 'to promote dialogue at all levels of society between policy-makers and the public on issues related to enlargement. This should ensure that progress through the negotiations towards enlargement is accompanied by public understanding and support'
• 'to provide information about the candidate countries to help promote general understanding'

For Candidate Countries the key objectives are:

• 'to improve public knowledge and understanding of the European Union'
• 'to explain the implications of accession for each country'
• 'to explain the link between the pace of preparations for membership and the progress of the negotiations. This should encourage the acceleration of the transposition of EU laws and the creation of the necessary administrative structures. It will also increase public understanding of the reasons why negotiations may proceed at different speeds in different candidate countries'

Funding for information campaigns in the 10 Central and Eastern Europe Candidate Countries was boosted by some €9.8m in 2003, with money allocated to European Commission Delegations on the following basis:

Moving towards enlargement

Following the signing of the Accession Treaty in Athens on 16 March 2003, there have been a number of significant developments in the Acceding States' involvement in the Union's institutional affairs.

1 May saw 162 Members of Parliament from the 10 Acceding States join the European Parliament as official observers. They will participate in political groups and committees, although they will not be able to vote until their countries have actually joined the Union.

The Joint Parliamentary Committees, which have brought together MEPs and national parliamentarians from the 10 are being disbanded.

On 5-6 May, Ministers from the 10 attended the Education, Youth and Culture Council, where they for the first time participated as 'active observers', able to speak but not vote. Meanwhile, Ambassadors from the Acceding States attended the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) for the first time.

The Commission's Internal Market Strategy Priorities 2003-2006 (COM(2003)238), adopted on 7 May, is intended to keep the Union on course for meeting the targets of the Lisbon Strategy by 2010, taking into account the impact of welcoming 10 new Member States in 2004.

Progress has also been made with recruiting the 3,900 or so new staff which the Commission has estimated it must draw from the Acceding States. The first tranche of jobs advertised on 22 May by the European Personnel Selection Office received 37,908 applications.

In mid July, the Commission proposed the Union's first budget to include the new Member States. The Preliminary draft general budget for 2004 is proposed to be €100.6 billion and in recognition of enlargement includes 'substantial increases for the Structural Funds and the EU's internal policies.'

With reference to the Single Currency, the Acceding States will not join the eurozone immediately upon accession, but will be required to adopt the euro when they have met the relevant criteria. They were, however, expected to submit their latest pre-accession economic programmes to the Commission by 15 August 2003; have been invited to submit their first reports on structural reforms in product, labour and capital markets in October 2003; and will have to present their first Convergence Programmes by 15 May 2004.

The Commission's Regular Reports and Strategy Paper for 2003 are expected to be published in early October ('Key documents' includes the Strategy Papers and Regular Reports). Each year the Regular Reports chart progress of the 13 Candidate Countries towards EU membership, enabling the Commission and Member States to make appropriate decisions (the 2002 Reports were the basis of the Commission's recommendation that 10 of the 13 should accede in 2004). In the Strategy Paper, the Commission recommends actions which the Member States should take to regarding the decisions.

Further information within European Sources Online

European Sources Online: Topic Guides
	Enlargement of the European Union
European Sources Online: In Focus
	10.03.03:	Malta says 'yes' to EU, March 2003
	17.03.03:	Enlargement: Athens Summit: signing of the Accession Treaty overshadowed by Iraq crisis, April 2003
	25.03.03:	Slovenes vote to join the EU and NATO, March 2003
	14.04.03:	Hungary and Malta both say 'yes' to EU, but Poland vetoes EEA deal, April 2003
	12.05.03:	Lithuanians vote to join EU, May 2003
	19.05.03:	Slovak Republic votes overwhelmingly to join the EU, May 2003
	09.06.03:	Poles vote on EU membership, June 2003
	16.06.03:	Czechs also say 'yes' to Europe, June 2003
	28.09.03:	Estonia: EU referendum, September 2003
	28.09.03:	Latvia: EU referendum, September 2003
European Sources Online: European Voice
	27.03.03:	Enlargement jitters abound despite huge “Yes” vote in Slovenia
	03.04.03:	Poll watch: Hungary on course for accession 'Yes'
	17.04.03:	Hungary 'Yes' vote sparks celebration despite low turnout
	30.04.03:	Lithuania ready for Plan B in event of low referendum turnout
	08.05.03:	Lithuanian leaders step up pressure for referendum “Yes” vote
	15.05.03:	Lithuanian landslide tempered by loss of sovereignty warning
	29.05.03:	Pope triggers U-turn as Poles look set for huge referendum 'Yes'
	05.06.03:	Poland set for referendum 'Yes' as EU premiers step in
	12.06.03:	Czech envoy predicts huge 'Yes' vote despite bickering
	11.09.03:	Estonia 'Yes' campaign on a roll despite train attack
European Sources Online: Financial Times
	07.03.03:	Candidates for EU entry prepare to cast votes
	24.03.03:	Slovenia set to vote for joining NATO and EU
	12.04.03:	EU loses allure for Hungary's poor
	14.04.03:	Hungary votes to join EU
	12.05.03:	EU referendum draws Lithuanians
	04.06.03:	Poland's president expects a big Yes in Union vote
	06.06.03:	Young Poles say Yes, the old say No, but EU spirit wanes
	07.06.03:	Poles' decision on EU biggest since fall of communism
	09.06.03:	Poland's voters say 'Yes' to EU entry
	10.06.03:	A thumping Yes
	12.06.03:	Czechs ready to vote Yes but Eurosceptics wait in wings
	14.06.03:	Czechs' Eurosceptic president seeks to blunt the 'yes' vote
	16.06.03:	Czechs look forward to rejoining western Europe
	02.07.03:	Slovakia ratifies accession treaty
	13.09.03:	Soviet Union to European Union
	15.09.03:	Estonians back EU membership
	21.09.03:	Latvian 'yes' vote paves way for joining EU

Further information can be seen in these external links:
(long-term access cannot be guaranteed)

EU Institutions

European Commission
	Lisbon Strategy
	Internal Market Strategy Priorities 2003-2006 (COM(2003)238)
DG Press and Communication
	Press releases
	15.09.03:	“Welcome and congratulations Estonia!” [IP/03/1247]
	22.09.03:	Roger Briesch welcomes the outcome of the Estonian and Latvian referenda on EU accession [CES/03/57]
DG Enlargement
	15.09.03:	Communications Strategy for Enlargement
	Enlargement Weekly
	06.05.03:	New Member States' Observers join the European Parliament
	13.05.03:	First Council for Acceding States' Ministers
	27.05.03:	Joint Parliamentary Committees winding down as accession approaches
	17.06.03:	Looking ahead to new euro Member States
	03.06.03:	Recruitment arrangements taking shape for new Member States
	16.09.03:	Estonia says a loud “yes” to the EU
	16.09.03:	Latvia watches its neighbour
	23.09.03:	... and Latvia makes it ten
European Personnel Selection Office
	Homepage

News organisations

BBC News Online
	07.03.03:	Malta set for tough EU vote
	09.03.03:	Maltese back EU entry
	24.03.03:	Slovenia votes for EU and NATO
	12.04.03:	Hungarians vote 'yes' to EU
	13.04.03:	Malta votes for pro-EU party
	08.05.03:	EU gloom among Lithuanian farmers
	10.05.03:	Lithuania votes to join EU
	11.05.03:	Lithuania says yes to EU
	12.05.03:	EU welcomes Lithuania vote
	18.05.03:	Slovaks say 'Yes' to EU
	26.05.03:	Czechs lukewarm on EU
	05.06.03:	Poland weighs EU pros and cons
	06.06.03:	Poland's euro vote conundrum
	07.06.03:	Low turnout in Polish EU poll
	08.06.03:	Mixed feelings on Poland's decision day
	08.06.03:	Poles await mass turnout
	09.06.03:	Poland on track for EU yes
	14.06.03:	Czechs say 'Yes' to EU entry

Eric Davies
Researcher
Compiled: 29 September 2003

Background and reporting on the week's main stories in the European Union and the wider Europe.